Cone shaped paper cup dispenser



. 1951 H. LE DOUX 3,007,607

CONE SHAPED PAPER CUP DISPENSER Filed Aug. 4, 1958 INVENTOR.

r l HERBERT LEDOUX 5 15' I :5 8

ATTOk/VEY United States Patent 3,007,607 CONE SHAPED PAPER CUP DISPENSERHerbert Le Doux, 136 Seaman Ave, New York, NY. Filed Aug. 4, 1958, Ser.No. 752,762 1 Claim. (Cl. 221-303) This invention relates to dispensersand, more particularly, to a paper cup dispenser.

While various types of dispensers have been provided for dispensing coneshaped paper cups, it is usually dinicult to remove single cupstherefrom since there is a tendency for such cups to cling together thusresulting in wasted motion, soiled cups, and the like. In addition,because of the spring action of most of these dispensers, there is atendency for the stack of cups to protrude out of the upper open end ofthe dispenser more than is actually required. Accordingly, it is anobject of the pres ent invention to provide a cone shaped paper cupdispenser that is extremely simple in construction, efiicient inoperation, and which will overcome the aforementioned difficulties.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a paper cupdispenser that has self contained restraining means for automaticallylimiting the upward movement of the stack of cups in the dispenser andwhich automatically prevents more than one such cup from being removedat a time.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a coneshaped paper cup dispenser of the type described that is extremelycompact, attractive in appearance, and which can be manufactured anddistributed in large quantities at a relatively low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of thisinvention will become apparent from a study of the followingspecification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the device shown inFIGURE 1, in operative use;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a cup platform forming apart of the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a base member forming another part of thepresent invention;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along line 5-5 ofFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view, with partsremoved, of certain parts of the dispenser;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary cross sectional view showing the restrainingmeans forming a part of the present invention in an initial positionrelative to a stack of cups nested within the dispenser;

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 7, showing the parts in a firstadjusted position;

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FIGURE 8, showing the restraining means inactual use immediately following the removal of the uppermost cup;

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of a bracket forming still another partof the present invention;

FIGURE 11 is a rear elevational view of the bracket shown in FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 12 is a transverse cross sectional view taken along line 12-42 ofFIGURE ll; and

FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of certain other partsof the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2thereof, a cone shaped paper cup dispenser unit 15 made in accordancewith the present invention is shown to include a cylindrical tube 16that is mounted at one lower end upon an upper extension 18 of a rigidbase '20 which may be constructed of heavy hard wood, metal, or otherweighted material to dispenser made aster Patented Nov. 7, 1961 ICCprovide maximum stability and secured thereto by two screws 23. Acompression coil spring 24 is supported within the tube 16 upon the base20 which, in turn, supports a cup platform 22 having angularly upwardlyand outwardly struck positioning tabs 26 which center a stack 28 ofnested inverted conical cups 30 there-on. Each of these cups 30 has abeaded lip 31 which conventionally serves to rigidity the shape of thecup and to provide a smooth edge for contact with the mouth.

A pair of brackets 32 are secured, such as by rivets '34 extendingthrough provided openings 36, to diametrically opposite sides of theupper end of the tube 16 which is also provided with openings 33 forreceiving the rivets 34-, such openings being on opposite sides of eachof a pair of diametrically opposite longitudinal slots 4t) that areimmediately adjacent to the upper and outwardly flared extension 46through which the cups pass in actual use. A pivot shaft 42 carried byeach such bracket 32 rotatably supports a V-shaped pawl 44 that projectsinto the interior of the tube 16 through the slots 46, and into the pathof movement of the stack 28 of nested cups.

The operation of the device may be readily understood. When a stack 28of nested cups is placed within the tube 16, in the manner shown inFIGURE 2 of the drawing, the associated elements assume the positionillustrated. In this position, the lower one of the fingers of eachV-shaped pawl 44 overlies and resists upward movement of the upper oneof the cups 30 because of the engagement of this lower finger with theperipheral bead 31 of the uppermost cup. Upward pivotal movement ofthese pawls 44 is prevented by the engagement of the upper one of thefingers with the top of the slot 40. However, as soon as a downwardpressure is exerted upon the stack of cups 28, such as by theapplication of a holder or a hand against the top of the stack, thepawls 44 will drop by gravity to the position shown in FIGURE 8 so thata quick upward pull upon the uppermost cup 30 will bring the lip 31 intoengagement with the upper one of the fingers of the pawl 44 which willallow this cup to pass. This upward movement of the cup 3% is at agreater velocity than the upward movement of the lowered stack 28 underthe action of the compression spring 24. As a result, the upwardmovement of the stack 28 is subsequent to the outward movement of theuppermost cup 30 which returns the pawl 44 to the initial positionillustrated in FIGURES 2, 7, and 9. At approximately the same time thatthe pawl 44 assumes its initial position, the stack 28 will have riseninto the initial position, in which position the lower finger of thepawl 44 will again abut the uppermost lip 31 of the uppermost cup 30 inthe stack, thus preventing outward movement of the stack or the next cupcarried by the stack. These pawls then act as restraining means limitingthe upward movement of the stack 28 until the next cup is removed.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to theconstruction shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such isnot to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention, whichis best defined by the claim appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

In a paper cup dispenser having a substantially upright cylindrical tubefor containing a stack of paper cups each having a peripheral head, thecombination of a supporting base connected to and closing one end of thetube, the base being surmounted by a compressible coil spring within thetube, a cup platform including a diskshaped plate verticallyreciprocable within said tube above the spring and loading the latter, aplurality of distinct and separate upstanding cup centering tabs struckupwardly from the plate within the peripheral edge thereof, said platehaving a cylindrical apron depending from 4 releasable therefrom in mentof References Cited in the file of this patent

